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"Until They Shall Be Persuaded to Believe in Christ," 2 Nephi 25:9-20

Nephi earlier in this chapter set out his intentions to be plain spoken and direct, and these verses are the evidence of his subsequent effort to do such. In very simple terms, Nephi explains why the Jews had been carried away into Babylon, and the cause of all their subsequent afflictions. Nephi states, "Behold, they will reject [Jesus Christ], because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks," (vs. 12). It is a sobering thought that the answer is just that simple.

Verse 16 talks about the elongation of this curse, "And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation, until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement which is infinite for all mankind--"

Furthermore, there is a standard that Nephi describes in this same verse that must be met for the scourge to be taken away, "they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands." These are the terms that must be met for the Lord to revoke the aforementioned curse: Faith in Christ, unto repentance that they may have clean hands and pure hearts. These are internal changes that must take place. And because the Lord holds the keys to the blessings that are extended, he is able to determine the condition of our hearts and hands.

There is in verse 18 a statement that affords us to discern the true Christ from an impostor. "...There is save one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is he that should be rejected of the Jews."

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Plant the Seed

For 20+ years, a study of the Book of Mormon has been a on-going routine for me. Its stories and vocabulary are very familiar to me. My conclusion thus far: there is no other text in existence that will better prepare you for life's daily challenges, as well as, give you the long-term advantage. Simply stated, it is of God, our loving Father in heaven, who has given us this book to show us how to have faith in Jesus Christ and how to prepare for our return to our heavenly home.

This all may be new to you, though. If you want help learning how to read the Book of Mormon, or have questions, feel free to reach out to me. You can comment on any blog post, or send me a personal note at ammonita@gmail.com.

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At some point in my late adolescence, I resolved to make scripture study a daily practice in my life. To date, I've read through the Book of Mormon perhaps a dozen times or so. I presently find myself well engulfed in a sequential study of the Book of Mormon in both English and Spanish. I bring to my study this time the experience of a father of large family, and the experience of being a faithfully committed marriage partner. I am a practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have served in various teaching and training capacities over the years. This blog represents my personal thoughts and impressions as I have read through the Book of Mormon on a daily basis. Comments, questions, and insight are graciously welcomed.